StayWell Clinical Reviewers, Editors or Medical Illustrators

The following table lists the credentials and backgrounds of present and former StayWell employees and independent contractors whocontributed to the development of digital health content on StayWell Consumer Health Library (also known as CHL or StayWell Solutions® Online).

Clinical Reviewers’ credentials are verified with their state’s professional licensing or medical board to ensure that debarment or the suspension or revoke of licensure has not occurred. If a clinical reviewer does not have a current professional license, then s/he will not perform any clinical duties until a professional license has been obtained and verified by the employee’s state licensing or medical board. After hire, the process to verify certifications and/or licenses of clinical reviewers occurs every one (1) to two (2) years (based on the expiration date).

The people listed in the table are employees of StayWell or work as Independent Contractors for StayWell.

Jennifer Averett, RD

Ms. Averett is a registered dietitian.

Laurie Ayala, BS

Laurie has more than 14 years of healthcare and wellness‐related publishing experience in addition to a health and fitness programming background. She graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences, Physiological Sciences. Ms. Ayala currently works at StayWell as the editorial director for the Print Team.

Laura A. Bowers, BSN, RN

Ms. Bowers is a registered nurse who specializes in pediatrics.

Nancy A. Bowers, RN, BSN, MPH

Ms. Bowers is a freelance editor and writer for StayWell. She has more than 30 years of nursing experience in labor and delivery, neonatal intensive care, newborn nursery, health care consulting, in vitro fertilization, childbirth, diabetes and prenatal education. Nancy is a published author of several textbooks, pamphlets and journal articles. She has presented on a national and local level to professional organizations. Ms. Bowers is the president of Marvelous Multiples Inc.

Kim Deneris Brown, MSN, APRN- BC

Ms. Brown is a board-certified nurse practitioner who specializes in obstetrics and pediatrics.

Louise A. Cunningham, RN, BSN

Louise (Lu) is a member of the clinical content team. Her duties have included setting the standards and implementation of the medical review process of StayWell Digital Content Team. She trained StayWell medical reviewers and third-party vendors by hosting one-to-one training sessions, live webinars, and developed an online medical review training support application. Lu also worked with the URAC coordinator to facilitate URAC standards and compliance. Louise has over 20 years of professional experience in healthcare. She worked primarily in a cardiovascular (CV) surgical step-down unit and an intensive care unit (ICU) at a major teaching hospital in Atlanta, GA. Lu served on the Residency Preceptor CV Department Representative for Joint Commission Survey. She mentored new nurses in the CVICU. As department Safety Representative, Lu was responsible for coordinating staff education for Joint Commission Surveys. She has worked as a Telephone Triage Nurse in the cardiovascular area providing patient education and management of pro-times as well as directed staff orientation and participated in the development of an outpatient Right Heart Cath program and services. Louise has been a member of Sigma Theta Tau, Nursing Honor Society.

Ms. Foster works as a freelance editor and writer for the digital content division. Ms. Foster has spent many years in critical care nursing, primarily in the specialty of cardiovascular surgical ICU in academic medical center settings. She was certified in critical care nursing by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses for 21 years until leaving active clinical practice. Sara held a management position at a heart center located in metro Atlanta, where she developed patient and staff educational materials. She co-authored a self-paced learning program for heart failure patients that was used in a joint venture educational program with United Healthcare. Ms. Foster holds a master degree in public health, in the area of health policy and management.

Marianne Fraser, MSN, RN

Ms. Fraser has expertise in public health, gerontology, hospice, health promotion, and chronic disease management. She also has extensive clinical experience in case management, patient education with high risk populations, health care disparities, gerontology, hospice, and health care policy. As an educator, Marianne taught community health nursing courses in university settings and implemented both national and international public health clinical experiences in geographic areas at high risk for health problems. In addition to her bachelor degree in nursing, she has a master degree in community health and cultural anthropology, and doctoral work in health policy, American national government, and biomedical ethics.

Donna Freeborn, PhD, CNM, FNP

A freelance editor and writer for StayWell, Ms. Freeborn is an assistant professor in the College of Nursing at Brigham Young University. She is a board-certified nurse midwife and family nurse practitioner. In 2008, Ms. Freeborn received her Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing and has over 35 years of professional experience in health care.

Rebecca Freed, BA

Ms. Freed has more than 20 years in the publishing industry, focusing on writing and editing instructional materials, including patient education. She completed a certificate in health advocacy at UC Berkeley extension, with additional classes in community health. Rebecca graduated from UC Santa Barbara in with a Bachelor of Arts degree English and French Language and Literature. Rebecca currently works at StayWell as a medical writer and editor.

Wendy Hiller Gee, MA, CMI, FAMI

Ms. Hiller Gee currently works on the StayWell content team as the Director of Medical Illustration and Design. She has more than 25 years of experience in medical illustration, creative direction, and design, with a strong focus on health literacy and patient education. She holds an M.A. in medical illustration from the University of Texas Southwestern Graduate School and a B.A. in Fine Art from San Jose State University. She has been a Certified Medical Illustrator for over 15 years. She is a Fellow of the Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI), past Chair of the Board of the AMI, and is AMI President-Elect for the 2016-2017 term.

Quinn Goeringer, PA-C

Mr. Goeringer is a board certified Bilingual (English/Spanish) Physician Assistant who works in Cardiology in the subspecialty of Cardiac Electrophysiology. He completed his undergraduate studies at Utah Valley University majoring in Exercise Science, graduating cum laude. Quinn completed his Physician Assistant training at Des Moines University in 2015, graduating with honors with a Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies. His experience includes working in Cardiac Rehabilitation where he first became passionate about assisting patients with cardiovascular disease.

Paula Goode, RN, MSN

Ms. Goode is an Application Analyst-Certified Epic ClinDoc and Stork at WellStar Health System. She has over 17 years of experience as a registered nurse in the areas of HealthcareIT, clinical informatics, labor & deliver, intensive care, and acute care nursing.

Paula Grantham, RN, BSN

Ms. Grantham is a registered nurse who specializes in obstetrics.

Beth Holloway, RN, M.Ed.

Ms. Holloway has more than 35 years of experience as a registered nurse and holds a master degree in Education/Community Health Education. Beth has extensive experience in patient education, medical writing, program development, informatics, teaching, and training.

Karin L. Kolbus, DNP, RN, COHN-S, CCM

Ms. Kolbus has a clinical doctorate in Public Health Nursing and currently works as an Employee Health Coordinator.

Cristina Lucuski, BA

Ms. Lucuski is a senior medical editor for StayWell Digital Content Team. She joined StayWell as a client editor in 2007. As editor, she managed the editorial production of publications for more than a dozen healthcare clients, including multiple-versioned publications of Spanish language versions. Ms. Lucuski also served as program manager for MediMedia Managed Markets, a StayWell sister company. Before joining StayWell, Ms. Lucuski worked for NJN Public Television. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and a minor in Spanish from West Chester University in West Chester, PA.

Geri K. Metzger, BS

Ms. Metzger is a senior content manager and medical editor for StayWell (SW) Digital Content Team. Ms. Metzger has more than 25 years of experience in writing and editing health information for consumers. She joined SW in 2012, and has experience in plain language, evidence-based medicine, and consumer engagement. Before joining SW, she worked Healthwise, Inc., Mayo Clinic, OptumHealth, and WebMD. Ms. Metzger holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical communications from Ohio State University.

Karen Michels, BA

Ms. Michels has more than 26 years of medical and wellness writing and editing experience, focusing on clinical medical content and patient education. She has an expertise in readability and instructional writing and design. Karen graduated from Dickinson College with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature and Composition. Ms. Michels currently works at StayWell as the content director for the Print Team.

Amanda Piccolo, MS, RD

Ms. Piccolo is a registered dietitian.

Daphne Pierce-Smith, MSN, RN, CCRC

Ms. Pierce-Smith manages the accreditation and quality assurance processes for StayWell and serves as the chairperson for the Quality Oversight Committee. Daphne has more than 30 years of professional experience in health care and has held several leadership and educator positions – Clinical Nurse Manager, Research Manager & Educator, Change-Agent, Research Chairperson, Pediatric Nursing Instructor, and adjunct faculty for Clinical Research. She has a Master of Science in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner track - and has been certified as a Clinical Research Coordinator (CCRC) for over 15 years. In 2008, she completed a two-year certification program in health care management, and in 2013, she completed a federally funded program based on the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (HITECH Act) and received a certificate as a Health Information Technology (HIT) Pro-Clinician/Practitioner Consultant. Ms. Pierce-Smith was a guest researcher at the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and co-authored numerous abstracts, manuscripts, and medical and nursing articles while employed at Emory University School of Medicine (EUSOM). Daphne sat on several regulatory, academic, state, and national boards, as well as EUSOM’s Institutional Review Board. For several years, Ms. Pierce-Smith sat on the Commission for Nursing Practice for Georgia Nurses Association and wrote articles for their official publication. She is published and has been a contributing author in gastroenterology (GI) textbooks and clinical GI handbooks for almost 15 years.

Brittany Poulson, BS, RD

Ms. Poulson is a registered dietitian.

Rita Sather, RN

A freelance reviewer for StayWell, Ms. Sather is a registered nurse who has specialized in surgical services and ambulatory care. Rita has been a registered nurse for over 35 years and is currently working as a Legal Nurse Consultant.

Laura Semko, MA

Ms. Semko is a senior medical writer for StayWell Digital Content Team. She joined StayWell as a client editor in 2005. As editor, she helped hospitals and other clients in the healthcare field produce engaging print publications. As a senior medical writer at StayWell, Ms. Semko specializes in creating health content that is accessible to everyone. She also has more than five (5) years’ worth of technical and scientific editing experience. She has a master’s degree in writing from DePaul University in Chicago, IL.

Dianna Sinovic, MA

Dianna is the Editorial Project Director for digital patient education at StayWell. She oversees a team of writers, editors, and contractors who create new content and ensure the editorial quality of existing content. She is involved in all editorial aspects of digital content, from the style guide to the technical aspects of metadata, crucial for digital content delivery. She and her team troubleshoot client issues, assess content for readability and plain language, and work closely with clinicians on medical review of digital content. Dianna began her editorial career as a print journalist. She has been an editor and reporter for newspapers in California, Kansas, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, including the Philadelphia Inquirer. Dianna has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a Master of Arts with an emphasis in science writing from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism.

Ms. Strauch is a Certified Medical Illustrator and animator with StayWell content team. Bricelyn has more than 8 years of biomedical visualization experience, primarily in scientific and medical publishing. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Scientific Illustration from the University of Georgia and her Master of Arts in Medical and Biological Illustration from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Bricelyn is a member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (GNSI) and the Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI).

Kimberly A. Stump-Sutliff, RN, MSN

A freelance editor for StayWell since 2007, Ms. Stump-Sutliff has been a nurse for over 17 years, and is certified as a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) in Oncology. Kimberly is an associate medical editor for the American Cancer Society (ACS), Health Promotion Department in metro Atlanta. She also publishes booklets, pamphlets, and medical information for ACS.

Wanda L. Gomez Taylor, RN, PhD

Ms. Taylor has a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing and specializes in geriatrics and hospice care.

Kimberly Tchang, BA

Ms. Tchang is a medical editor for StayWell Digital Content Team. She joined the team in 2015, but before that served as an editor with StayWell Integrated Content Marketing Division. There she developed and managed custom publications for hospitals and health plans. Ms. Tchang has an extensive trade and consumer magazine background, and has written widely on health and wellness issues for national publications. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English/Writing from Manhattanville College in Purchase, NY.

Heather Trevino, BSN, RNC

Ms Trevino is a registered nurse who works as a clinical content coordinator at StayWell.

Raymond K. Turley, SR, RN, BSN, MSN

Mr. Turley has been a registered nurse for over 10 years specializing in neurology and neurosurgery. He has a Master of Science in Nursing Informatics from the University of Utah. He has also successfully completed a Diabetes Educator Certification Course. Ray works as a clinical content coordinator at StayWell and manages neurology, diabetes, orthopaedics, arthritis, rehabilitation, vascular, and genitourinary content.

Raymond K. Turley, JR, PA-C

Mr. Turley (Kenny) is a certified Physician Assistant (PA). He has been working as a PA for over 3 years. Kenny is currently working in general surgery and assists with surgical cases in OB/GYN. He also has experience in orthopedics. Kenny attended Des Moines University in Iowa and received a Master's degree in Physician Assistant studies. He received a Bachelor of Science at Utah State University in human movement science.

Annette Welch, MNS, OCN

Ms. Welch has a Master of Science in Nursing and specializes in oncology.

Brooke C. Wheeler

Ms. Wheeler is a senior medical writer for StayWell (SW) Digital Content Team. She has been a writer and editor of consumer health, technology, and education content for more than 20 years. Ms. Wheeler joined SW in 2010 and has written hundreds of patient education articles, patient consent sheets, video scripts, and other materials, for consumer-level and low-literacy readers. Before joining SW, Ms. Wheeler held senior editor posts at publications including BabyCenter.com, Americanbaby.com, AOL UK Health, and iVillagehealth.com. She attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Joanna Wilkins, BS, RD, CD

Ms. Wilkins is a registered and certified dietitian.

Derek Wu, MA

Mr. Wu has been a medical illustrator with StayWell’s content team since 2010. He has experience with both traditional illustration and 3D computer animation and modeling. He graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Molecular Environmental Biology, and from the University of Texas Southwestern at Dallas with a Masters of Arts Degree in Biomedical Communications. He is a professional member of the Association of Medical Illustrators.

Sue Yang, BA

Ms. Yang has more than 10 years of medical writing and editing experience, focusing on patient education and instructional writing, as well as extensive research experience. She graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English. Sue currently works at StayWell as a medical writer and editor.

Mary Ann Zapalac, MA

Ms. Zapalac has more than 25 years of experience as an illustrator, specializing in instructional and medical art. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Art from The University of Texas in Austin and a Master of Arts Degree in Medical Illustration from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. She currently works as a medical illustrator at StayWell on the content team.

Olivia Walton-Ziegler, PA, MPAS

Ms. Walton-Ziegler is a board-certified physician assistant who specializes in internal medicine and palliative care.

L. Renee Watson, RN, MSN

Ms. Watson has been a Registered Nurse since 1984, specializing in oncology, hospice and palliative care, triage nursing, ambulatory care, healthcare quality, and medical writing. She holds an Associate of Science and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Boise State University and a Master of Science Degree in Nursing and Health Leadership from Gonzaga University. Ms. Watson serves as a Board Member for the Idaho State Board of Nursing. She currently works as a clinical content coordinator at StayWell.

Reviewed and Approved by the Quality Oversight Committee: October 2018

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